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Ambrose streaks to second consecutive Sprint Cup Series pole: NASCAR goes from record 203 mph at Michigan to road course pole at Sonoma

June 21, 2012

No one could catch Marcos Ambrose in qualifying for the second consecutive week for car owner Richard Petty. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Marcos Ambrose took his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole in two weeks with a blistering lap of 95.262 mph around Sonoma's twisting, turning road course, proving once again that so-called road course specialists sometimes do come out on top.

The Sonoma pole also shows Ambrose' versatility--his No. 1 grid position last week was at the high-speed, two-mile oval at Michigan, while this week's run at Sonoma was on a very tight road course.

“Last week the pole was over 200 mph. This week, it'll probably be under 100,” Ambrose said. “I've been trying to get a pole forever, now I'm greedy. I've got two in two weeks.”

Local hero and five-time winner Jeff Gordon qualified second with a smooth but somewhat reserved 95.067-mph lap, two tenths behind the Tasmanian Devil.

“I was very pleased with the lap," Gordon said. "I knew Marcos [Ambrose] put down one heck of a lap. I wasn't going to allow myself to get too aggressive to where we ruined a good lap. I felt the car had it in it [in many areas of the track], in other areas, if I attacked, I felt like I could have gone over the edge.”

But overall, Gordon was happy.

“It was the best lap I've had in years," Gordon said.

Jimmie Johnson was third with a 94.795. The only thing Johnson said needed work was the comfort level in the car.

“The comfort's not there. I don't want to drive 110 laps like the way it drove today.”

Mark Vaughn
- After slumming in Europe five years covering F1 etc. Mark Vaughn interviewed with Autoweek at the 1989 Frankfurt motor show has been with us ever since because no one else will take him. Anyone?
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